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Your Money > Family Finances Articles > Money Saving Tips...
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By Kate O'Raghallaigh
What domestic activity burns as many calories as two games of badminton? I'll give you a hint: it's the same pastime that burns twice as many calories as a half hour run? Still stumped? It's only gardening! 'Tis true. According to research form health insurer Bupa, not only are gardening activities such as seed planting and lawn mowing good for the environment (and, as many would add, the 'soul'), but they can also form a part of that vital summer exercise regime! Don't ditch the gym in favour of lawn mowing just yet, though. Whether you are a novice gardener, a green fingered god/goddess or simply want to have a pretty windowsill, here are some foolish tips to save you some pennies this summer. Starting out There are also a host of websites out there that can help you ease your way into the gardening world. The Royal Horticultural Society has a very useful advice section which includes a number of downloadable leaflets on various aspects of gardening. If you're a bit of an eager beaver, however, it's worth being a bit cautious when making that first stop to the garden centre. Yes, those beautiful makepiece gardens are certainly a dream to look at and not to prune anyone's confidence if you're new to the game but it is unlikely that purchasing everything you think looks pretty on the display will have the desired effect in your own garden. It may also prove pretty painful on the old bank balance. Why pay expensive prices when you can wrangle lots of things you need for nothing more than a bit of friendly research:
Compost Why buy bags of the stuff when you can make your own? All you need is a container, which you can buy from a shop or your local council. The Foolish option would of course, be to make a compost bin yourself all you need is some chicken wire, some stakes and some cardboard. Homecomposting.org.uk is a great composting website which offers advice on how to make your own container, as well as tips on what you can include in your compost. A bit of home brewing You probably didn't know this, but you can actually make your own weed killer. According to The Vinegar Institute, a simple spray of white distilled vinegar on weeds will do the job, although there are many other recipes online, a lot of which seem to involve mixing vinegar with dishwasher liquid. The institute's website also offers a range of other uses for vinegar in the garden, which include a recipe for plant nutrient solution. That's certainly cheaper than forking out for a packet of the stuff from Homebase! Contrary to what you may have gathered from gardening shows on TV, creating and maintaining a garden doesn't have to break the bank. With a little know how, you can make extra use of things that are likely to be lying round your house anyway. Happy gardening! Useful links:
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